It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Kerstmis

Sinterklaas- Santa’s Dutch cousin arrives by boat and brings along his helper Piet to bring presents to all the good boys and girls. The children leave their clogs out (instead of stockings) to see what he gives! He rides his horse Americo through the streets of the Netherlands for a giant celebration! Even though Kerstmis occurs first, it was high time we got decorated for Christmas!! With a gorgeous artificial tree and the birch log fireplace channel on Netflix, our apartment was feeling cozy and ready for the holidays!

Carter’s Rocket Club

After school on Tuesdays Carter attended a rocket building club. Although it was in Dutch, he had enough handle on the language to participate and the teacher was so welcoming and helpful. He worked for weeks and finally at the end of November we got to see what he had been creating!

He had to speak in front of the class in Dutch which was very overwhelming but he stumbled through his description and I am SO proud of him! These creations are so neat and I love that he was able to use his love of art and science to create them.

Alex & Alan in Amsterdam

Because of work, Alan was not able to join us until thanksgiving day but luckily he was able to stay a few extra days so we took them around a few weekend hot spots. First stop- the Saturday market for some fresh poffertjes. That night we went to a brewery, walked through the red light district, and had dinner. I think it was the prefect way to finish off their Amsterdam trip and so glad we got a few extra hours with them!

Thanks for coming to visit guys! We love you!

Last Days with My Fam

The correct way to eat a Stroopwaffel

A canal tour (in the rain) to see Amsterdam from the water

More exploring on foot

Rembrandt’s House

Inside Westerkerk watching this amazing artist work!

The rain cleared and we were able to finish their trip with some great sightseeing. It’s hard to say goodbye but I’m so glad my family got to come and see our new town and see why we’ve enjoyed living over here so much. My heart will break when they leave, but I know we will see each other again soon and in the meantime, these canal views will help get me through ;)

Happy Thanksgiving!

A stop at Mook for pancakes and ginger shots!

Yum! Yum! Yum!

A cold and gray day for Thanksgiving

My oven is way too small and I knew it would be really difficult to find all the thanksgiving foods we were accustomed to so after some online searching, I discovered that Wyers in Amsterdam hosts a four course thanksgiving dinner! I was able to make a reservation for 12 and we were all set! The menu was perfect and the food was super delicious. Unfortunately Nolan was not feeling well during dinner and fell asleep at the table…never a good sign for my voracious eater!

Wine & Cheese

We attended a wine and cheese tasting at Reypenaer in Amsterdam to test out some of their delicious cheeses. We ended up buying the cutting board guillotine and lots of cheese because it was all so tasty! It was fun to try out each flavor and see how they ranked and compare to what dad and Cathy thought. Lincoln and I had very similar preferences and also loved the mustard they sell. It came in a little jar with a wooden spoon and you can return to the shop to have it refilled! After the boys got home from school we wandered around Dam Square to find the best burgers in Amsterdam. That plus a chocolate milkshake and we all had a food coma by the end of the night!

Back to Amsterdam

While Alex and the Morgans continued to explore Europe, Dad, Cathy, Lincoln, and I returned to Amsterdam so the boys could go back to school. The first day back we met for brunch at Greenwoods Singel and then toured the Rijksmusuem. A huge ice rink had been set up on the musuemplein out front and even though we did not skate, it was fun to watch.

More Views from Brussels

Since we only had the weekend to explore we crammed in as much as possible. The Morgans and Alex were going to continue on in their excursion to visit Luxembourg and a few other spots while Poppy, Cathy, and our little fam returned to Amsterdam. My boys had to go back to school but we were excited to know that we’d see our cousins again soon for Thanksgiving!

View from the train as we head back to the Dam

Home from Belguim in time to catch it snowing!

Touring Brussels

Walking through the Grand Palace Park

Manneken Pis (meaning "Lil' Piddler" in Dutch) is a small bronze sculpture depicting a naked little boy urinating into a fountain's basin. It is the best-known symbol of the people of Brussels.

Eglise Notre-Dame du Sablon

The Belgian Royal Palace

Lighting a candle for his sweet Hattie